Lightning-arrester.



A. OLESON. LIGHTNING ABBESTER. LIOATIOH FILED SEPT. 24, 190B. I

Patented Jan. 18,1910.

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v I 5 J x r aw c: ,Wd ya i v v Cir ALBERT OLESON, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

LIGHTNING-ARRESTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

Application filed September 24, 1906. Serial No. 335,879.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, ALBERT OLESON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Toledo, county of Lucas, State of Ohio, have inrentedcertain new and useful Improvements in Lightning-Arresters, and declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains tomake and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to lightning arresters, and has for its object animproved device of this class especially adapted for application totrolley circuits, whereby an overcharge of electricity may be conductedaway from a system of trolley wires before they are burned out, andwhich normally, and in the absence of any overcharge on the wires,permits, or rather induces, no leakage of the current.

In the drawings :Figure 1, shows the device diagrammatically, andindicates its method of connection with a trolley wire. Fig. 2, is anenlarged detail view of the point of the pivoted arm and the adjacentparts.

A represents the casing, which may be located at any convenient point,as on a trolley pole, or a wall in the vicinity of a trolley wire. Fromthe trolley wire a extends a connecting wire 6, which, passing throughthe walls of the casing A, terminates in a brass or other metallic block0, which is mounted in a porcelain or other insulating frame y, throughwhich is cut a downwardly inclined passage 8, through which the air,heated by the formation of an are within the casing, may escape, itsouter end being closed only to the hanging cover 9. Within the casing,and insulated from it, is supported the block B, to which is pivotallyconnected the arm D, whose point d normally reaches almost to the block0, but is held from actually contacting the same, and at whateverdistance the strength of the current makes desirable, by means of theregulating screw 2, whose end engages against the insulating pad f.

lVith the normal current only of a trolley wire, the gap between thepoint (i and the block 0 is made to prevent the liuX of electricityacross the intervening gap. When, however, a bolt of lightning, or othersimilar cause, overloads the trolley wire, the current jumps the gap tothe point (Z, and passing through the arm D and the block B escapes inpart through the wire m, including the graphite resistance plug 6, tothe ground wire G. Connected, however, to the block B, in the samemanner as the wire at, is a wire is of slightly smaller diameter. Thiswire leads through the solenoid S, and is thence conducted through thewire 1 to the ground. Both the wire q and the wire m are for convenienceconnected with the ground wire G through the medium of the binding-postblock T.

The size of the wires selected is preferably such that the total crosssectional area of the wires in and m is slightly in excess of that ofthe wire 6 so that between them they can fully and amply care for anyexcess of current that may be transmitted to the arr-ester by way of thewire 6, and the presence of the resistance plug 6 in the conductor moperates to throw a large proportion of the current through the wire isand solenoid S.

The energization of the solenoid S by the passage of the current throughit, causes the vertically movable core E, which consists preferably ofseveral iron rings a engaging about or strung upon rod It ofnon-conducting material, preferably wood or other fibrous matter, torise from its normal position, largely out of the solenoid and below it,as shown in full lines, to position well within it, carrying with it therod R, which is pivoted at its lower end to the lever L, and whose upperend normally reaches to a point just below the point d of the arm. Thisraises the lever L, to which it is pivoted, and which in turn is pivotedto the standard w, to the position shown in dotted lines asapproximately horizontal. This movement in turn raises the link memberP, which is pivotally connected to the lever L intermediate its fulcrumand joint of attachment to the core E, and at its other end to the footportion D of the arm D; this in turn forces the pivoted arm D away fromits normal position to that indicated by the dotted lines at D Theupward movement of the core E serves to interpose between the block 0and the new position of the point d of the arm D, the insulating rod R,which breaks the are formed by the jumping of the current across to thepoint (Z, if the same has not already been broken by its movement awayfrom the block 0, and the rush of air from the interior of the casingand across the path of the are through the passage 8. As soon as thepoint (Z has been thus removed from proximity to the block (1, and thecurrent stopped, the energization of the solenoid ceases, and it nolonger attracts upwardly the core E, which, because of its weight, fallsto its normal position of rest, pulling with it, by means of the link P,the lever L, and the arm D, which is thus restored, as respects itspoint (Z, to its normal position with respect to the block 0.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In a lightning arrester, the combination of asolenoid, a core movable therethrough, an arc breaker of non-conductingmaterial carried on the end of said core and adapted to be projected bythe movement thereof across the path of an are, a pivoted arm inelectrical connection with said solenoid and with the ground, a terminalin electrical connection with an active circuit located adjacent to,though spaced from, one end of said pivoted arm when the same is in itsnormal position, a wire connecting said solenoid with the ground, andlink members connecting said core and said pivoted arm whereby the sameis swung from its normal position adjacent to said terminal upon theenergization of the solenoid due to the passage therethrough of acurrent communicated to it through said pivoted arm, and the consequentmovement of the core with respect thereto, said core being adapted todrop by gravity from its actuated position within the solenoid upon thecessation of the energizing current, substantially as described.

2. A lightning arrester, having in colnbination with a casing, aninsulated ground wire leading from the interior thereof, a conductorwire leading thereinto from an active circuit, a pivoted arm in directelectrical connection with said ground wire, the normal position of oneend thereof being adjacent to the terminal of said conductor wire,though out of contact therewith, a solenoid in connection with saidpivoted arm and with said ground wire, and thereby constituting a secondpath for the travel of a current from said pivoted arm to said groundwire, a core member movable within said solenoid, an arc-breaking membercarried on the top part of said core member, adapted to be projected bythe rise of the same within the solenoid, upon the energization thereofdue to the passage of a current therethrough, across the path of an areformed between the terminal of the conductor wire and the adjacent endof the pivoted arm, and link members connecting said core member andsaid pivoted arm, whereby the arm is swung from its normal position uponthe rise of the core within the solenoid, said core being adapted tofall by gravity and to thereby swing said pivoted arm back to its normalposition upon the cessation of the current through the solenoid,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

ALBERT OLESON.

\Vitnesses 2 HARRY B. SWAN, VILLIAM M. SWAN.

